slake the heat of the wine; or put to after as a ceremony, to signify that as the water is changed into wine, so are we changed through faith as it were into Christ, and are one with him; howbeit all is to their own shame, that aught should be done or used among us Christians, whereof no man wist the meaning. For if I understand not the meaning, it helpeth me not, 1 Cor. xiv. and as experience 1 Cor. xiv. teacheth. But if our shepherds had been as well willing

to feed as to shear, we had needed no such dispicience,

nor they to have burnt so many as they have.

And as for that he allegeth out of the Epistle of James

for the justifying of works, I have answered in the Mam- Justificamon, against which he cannot hiss, and will speak more in the four book.

And as for the Sabbath, a great matter, we be lords over the Sabbath, and may yet change it into the Monday or any other day as we see need; or may make every tenth day holy day only, if we see a cause why, we may make two every week if it were expedient, and one not enough to teach the people. Neither was there any cause to change it from the Saturday, than to put difference between us and the Jews, and lest we should become servants unto the day after their superstition. Neither needed we any holy day at all, if the people might be taught without it.

And when he asketh by what Scripture we know that a woman may christen? I answer, if baptism be so necessary as they make it, then, Love thy neighbour as thyself doth teach women to baptise in time of need: yea and to teach, and to rule their husbands too, if they be beside themselves.

And when he saith that of likelihood the lay people understood the Gospel of John, and Paul's Epistles better than great clerks now; I answer, the more shame is theirs. Howbeit there be two causes why: the one their diligent shearing; and another, they deny the justifying of faith, whereof both Paul and John do entreat, and

is

tion of works.

Sabbath. The Sabbath-day and holy days are made for

us, and not

we for
them.

Why women bap

tize.

Why the prelates understand

not the Scripture.

A good tale if it were long enough.

Ye cannot speed well if ye try the doc

almost of nothing else. If the signification of our baptism which is the law of God and faith of Christ, were expounded truly unto us, the Scripture would be easy to all that exercised themselves therein. And, sir, inasmuch as the prelates care so little for the loss of the understanding of the Scripture, and to teach the people, how happeneth it that they care so sore for a bald ceremony, which, the signification lost, though Christ himself had institute it, we could not observe without a false faith, and without hurting of our souls?

And, finally, to rock us asleep withal, he saith, that he shall never speed well that will seek in the Scripture whether our prelates teach us a true faith, though ten preach each contrary to other in one day. And yet Christ for all his miracles sendeth us to the Scripture. And for all Paul's miracles, the Jews studied the Scripture the prelates by diligenterly, to see whether it were as he said or no. Howbeit he meaneth that such cannot speed well because the prelates will burn them, except M. More help them, and make them forswear Christ before hand.

trine of our

the Scrip

ture.

THE TWENTY-SEVENTH CHAPTER.

IN the twenty-seventh he bringeth Paul exhorting to agree, and to tell all one tale in the faith; which cannot be, saith M. More, except one believe by the reason of another. Yes verily we all believe the fire is hot, and yet not by the reason of another, and that with a more surer knowledge than if we believed it the one by the telling of All believe another. And even so they that have the law of God written in their hearts, and are taught of the Spirit to know sin and to abhor it; and to feel the power of the resurrection of Christ, believe much surer than they that have none other certainty of their faith than the pope's preaching confirmed with so godly living.

in God

that have

the law

written in their hearts.

And it is not unknown to M. More that the churches of late days, and the churches now being, have determined

must shew a reason of

trine.

things in one case the one contrary to the other, in such wise that he cannot deny but the one hath or doth err: the which case I could shew him, if I so were minded. The old popes, cardinals, and bishops, said, Yea, to the The church thing that I mean; whereunto these that now reign, say Nay. Now, sir, if you gather a general council for the their docmatter, the churches of France and Italy will not believe the churches of Spain and Dutchland, because they so say; but will ask how they prove it? Neither will Lovain believe Paris because they say they cannot err, but will hear first their probation. Also how shall we know that the old pope and his prelates erred, because these that are now so say? When the old pope lived we were as much bound to believe he could not err, as we be now Popes may that this cannot; wherefore you must grant me, that God must shew a miracle for the one part, or else he must bring authentic Scripture.

not be be lieved

without Scripture.

ought to

conclude

Now, sir, God hath made his last and everlasting testament, so that all is open and no more behind than the appearing of Christ again. And because he will not stir up every day a new prophet with a new miracle, to confirm new doctrine, or to call again the old that was forgotten; therefore were all things necessary to salvation comprehended in Scripture ever to endure. By which Councils Scripture the councils general, and not by open miracles, have concluded such things as were in them determined, as stories make mention. And by the same Scripture we Scriptures. know which councils were true, and which false. And by the same Scripture shall we, if any new question arise, determine it also. Abraham answered the rich man, Luke xvi. They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them; and said not, They have the scribes and the pharisees whom they should hear preaching out of the seat of their own doctrine without Scripture.

✔ And when he allegeth, He that heareth you heareth me, and if any man hear not the church, take him for an heathen, concluding that we must believe whosoever is shaven,

according

to the

Luke x. Matt. xviii.

Matt. xxviii.

The cause why the apostles wrote the gospels.

John xx.

1 John ii.

The pope

and his cardinals erred in

king Henry the

eighth's

case.

in all that he affirmeth without Scripture or miracle; I would fain know in what figure that syllogismus is made. Christ's disciples taught Christ's doctrine, confirming it with miracles, that it might be known for God's, and not theirs. And even so must the church that I will believe shew a miracle, or bring authentic Scripture that is come from the apostles which confirmed it with miracles.

THE TWENTY-NINTH CHAPTER.

IN the twenty-ninth he allegeth, that Christ said not the Holy Ghost shall write, but shall teach. It is not the use to say the Holy Ghost writeth, but inspireth the writer. I marvel that he had not brought, as many of his brethren do, Matthew in the last, where Christ commanded the apostles to go and teach all nations, and said not write. I answer, that this precept, Love thy neighbour as thyself, and God above all thing, went with the apostles, and compelled them to seek God's honour in us, and to seek all means to continue the faith unto the world's end. Now the apostles knew before that heresies should come, and therefore wrote, that it might be a remedy against heresies, as it well appeareth (John xx.) where he saith, These are written that ye believe, and through belief have life. And in the second of his first Epistle he saith, These I write because of them that deceive you. And Paul and Peter thereto warn us in many places. Wherefore it is manifest that the same love compelled them to leave nothing unwritten that should be necessarily required, and that, if it were left out, should hurt the soul.

And in the last chapter to make all fast, he bringeth in the king's grace, how he confuted Martin Luther with this conclusion, The church cannot err: whereunto I will make none answer for fear to displease his grace; nevertheless because Martin could not soil it, if his grace look well upon the matter, he shall find that God hath assoiled it for him in a case of his own.

And upon that M. More concludeth his first book, that M. More's whatsoever the church, that is to wit, the pope and his conclusion. brood, say, it is God's word, though it be not written, nor confirmed with miracle, nor yet good living; yea, and though they say to day this, and tomorrow the contrary, all is good enough and God's word; yea, and though one pope condemn another (nine or ten popes a row) with all their works for heretics, as it is to see in the stories, yet all is right and none error. And thus good night and good rest, Christ is brought asleep, and laid in his grave, and the door sealed to, and the men of arms about the grave to keep him down with poleaxes. For that is the surest argument, to help at need, and to be rid of these babbling heretics, that so bark at the holy spiritualty with the Scripture, being thereto wretches of no reputation, neither cardinals, nor bishops, nor yet great beneficed men; yea, and without tot quots and pluralities, having no hold but the very Scripture, whereunto they cleave as burs, so fast that they cannot be pulled away, save with very singeing them off.

The surest way to op

press true doctrine is to lay the preachers

fast.

A SURE TOKEN THAT THE POPE IS ANTICHRIST.

is antichrist.

AND though unto all the arguments and persuasions The pope which he would blind us with, to believe that the pope with his sect were the right church, and that God for the multitude will not suffer them err, we were so simple that we saw not the subtilty of the arguments nor had words. to solve them with, but our bare faith in our hearts; yet we be sure and so sure that we can therein not be deceived, and do both feel and see that the conclusion is false, and the contrary true.

For first Peter saith (2 Pet. ii.) There shall be false 2 Pet. ii.